A Brief Sketch of the Work 

of 

MATTHEW FONTAINE 
MAURY 

During the War 1861-1865 



BY HIS SON 

RICHARD L. MAURY 

RICHMOND 



WlIITlET & SHEPPBRSOW 

1915 



^ A Brief Sketch of the Work 

of 

MATTHEW FONTAINE 
MAURY 

During the War 1861-1865 



BY HIS SON 

RICHARD L. MAURY 

RICHMOND 



£icbmanti 
Whittkt & Shepperson 



CO p-y RIGHTED, 1915, BY 
KATHERINE C. STILES 



©G!,A397857 ^ 

MAY 3 1915 




INTRODUCTION 

>HEN I took charge of the Georgia Room, in 
the Confederate Museum, in Richmond, 
Virginia in 1897, I found among the De 
Renne collection an engraving of the 
pleasant, intellectual face of Commodore 
Matthew Fontaine Maury, so I went to his son. Colonel 
Richard L. Maury, who had been with his father in all 
his work here, and urged him to write the history of it, 
while memory, papers and books could be referred to; 
this carefully written, accurate paper was the result. 

At one time, when Commodore Maury was very sick, 
he asked one of his daughters to get the Bible and read 
to him. She chose Psalm 8, the eighth verse of which 
speaks of "whatsoever walketh through the paths of the 
sea," he repeated "the paths of the sea, the paths of the 
sea, if God says the paths of the sea, they are there, and 
if I ever get out of this bed I will find them." 

He did begin his deep sea soundings as soon as he 
was strong enough, and found that two ridges extended 
from the New York coast to England, so he made charts 
for ships to sail over one path to England and return 
over the other. 

The proceeds from the sale of this little pamphlet 
will be used as the beginning of a fund for the erection 
of a monument to Commodore Maury in Richmond. 

KATHERINE C. STILES. 




TORPEDOES 

ORPEDOES as effective weapons in actual 
war were first utilized by the Confederate 
navy, and Captain Matthew F. Maury in- 
troduced them into that service, and continu- 
ally improved and perfected their use u.itil 
they had become the mighty engine of modern warfare 
and revolutionized the art of coast and harbour defense. 
He, it was, who in 1861 mined James River, who, in per- 
son commanded the first attack with torpedoes upon the 
Federal fleet in Hampton Roads, and it was the develop- 
ment and improvement of this plan of defense which held 
the enemy's ship throughout the South at bay, and 
caused the loss of fifty-eight of the ships, and the Secre- 
tary of the United States Navy to report to Congress in 
1865 that the Confederates had destroyed with their tor- 
pedoes more vessels than were lost from all other causes 
combined. Their use was soon extended from James 
River to the other Southern waters by eleven young 
naval officers, active and alert, who planted, directed and 
exploded torpedoes wherever there occurred favorable 
opportunity, and with a daring and coolness never sur- 
passed ; officers whose ability was abundantly shown by 
the remarkable inertness of the United States Navy after 
they had left that service in response to the call of their 
States to come and help protect their invasion. 

Hardly had Captain Maury arrived in Richmond than 
his active mind was directed to the problem of protect- 
ing the Southern coasts. The South had not a single 
vessel of war, and but scanty means of making, equip- 



ping or manning one; the North had all the old navy 
fully armed and equipped, with unlimited means for mak- 
ing more. 

Penetrated as the country is by innumerable naviga- 
ble waters, and save at the entrance of a few of her largest 
rivers, altogether unfortified, he urged that the only 
available defense was to mine the channel ways with tor- 
pedoes, floating and fixed, which should be exploded by 
contact or by electricity, when the enemy attempted to 
pass. At that time there was nothing save a few shore 
batteries to prevent any ship whose captain was bold 
enough to run past their fires from ascending James 
River to Richmond, or from reaching any other maritine 
town in the South. Fortunately there were but few bold 
enough for the attempt. 

In the beginning there was much prejudice against 
this mode of warfare, which, notwithstanding, has since, 
under Captain Maury's instruction, become the chief reli- 
ance of most maratine nations. It was considered un- 
civilized warfare thus to attack and destroy an unsus- 
pecting enemy and the United States, and many of her 
naval officers were specially loud in their denunciations 
of those who resorted to it. There was official apathy 
too, and opposition of friends, but regardless of such, he 
proceeded to experiment and demonstrate, and with such 
success that in time the nations of Europe became his 
pupils, and there were hosts of followers and fellaw- 
workers at home, and the Confederate Congress appro- 
priated six millions of dollars for torpedoes. 

His initial experiment to explode minute charges of 
powder under water, were made with an ordinary tub 
in his chamber at the house of his cousin, Robert H. 
Maury, a few doors from the Museum in Richmond, Va. 
The tanks for actual use were made at the Tredegar 



Works, and at the works of Talbott and Son on Gary 
Street; the batteries were loaned by the Richmond Medi- 
cal College, which also freely tendered the use of its lab- 
oratory. In the early summer of 1861 the Secretary of 
the Navy, the Governor of Virginia, the chairman of the 
Gommittee of Naval Affairs, and other prominent offi- 
cials were asked by him to witness a trial and an explo- 
sion of torpedoes in James River at Rocketts. 

The torpedo were composed of two small kegs of 
rifle powder, weighted to sink a few feet below the sur- 
face. They were fitted with hair triggers and friction 
primers, and thirty feet of lanyard attached to the trig- 
gers connected the keys. When in use they v/ere to be 
set afloat in the channel way as near as possible to a 
vessel and to drift down wnth the current until the con- 
necting lanyard fouled the anchor chain, or the bow of 
the vessel and the kegs swung around against her side 
when the tightened lanyard would fire the trigger and 
cause the torpedo to explode. So the Patrick Henry's 
gig was borrowed, with a couple of sailors to pull, and 
the torpedo having been embarked, with the trigger at 
half-cock, Gaptain Maury and the writer got on board 
and were rowed out to the buoy just opposite where the 
James River Steamboat Gompany's wharf now is, where 
the invited spectators stood to witness the explosion. 
The triggers were then set, the kegs carefully lowered 
into the water, taking great care not to strain the lan- 
yard, all was cast off, the boat pulled clear, and we 
waited to see the torpedo float down until the buoy was 
reached, the lanyard foul strain and explode the torpedo. 
But there was delay, the lanyard fouled the buoy all 
right, the kegs floated past and st-ained the lanyard, but 
there was no explosion. Impatient we back water to the 
buoy and the writer leaned over the stern and caught the 



lanyard to give the necessary pull, but in the very act 
the explosion took place, a column of water went up 
twenty feet or more, and descending, gave us a good 
wetting and filled the surrounding water with stunned 
and dead fish. The officials on the wharf applauded and 
were convinced, and that the experiments might con- 
tinue Governor Letcher loaned power, and shortly after 
the Naval Bureau of Coast, Harbour, and River Defense 
was organized with ample funds for the work, and the 
very best of intelligent and devoted young officers as 
assistants and an office was opened in Richmond at the 
corner of Ninth and Bank Streets, where Rueger's now is. 
In a few months he had mined James River with fixed 
torpedoes to be exploded by electricity should the enemy 
attempt to pass, and a means thus indicated to protect the 
city. During the summer and fall attacks were made 
upon the Federal squadron at Fortress Monroe, under 
the personal command of Captain Maury from Norfolk. 
The first of these was early in July, 1861, from Seawell's 
Point, at the mouth of the James River, and was directed 
against two of the fleet there — the "Minnesota" and the 
"Roanoke." Friday and Saturday night he sent an of- 
ficer in a boat to reconnoitre, but there was a steam 
picket on watch, Sunday as he was spying them through 
a glass, noting their relative positions, he saw the church 
flag on two of them, a white flag bearing a cross dis- 
played, flying just a little above the ship ensign. When 
he thought that those men were worshipping God in 
sincerity and truth, and, no doubt, thinking themselves 
in the line of their duty, he could but feel for them 
when he remembered how soon he might be the means 
of sending many of them into eternity. That night the 
attacking party in five boats set off about ten o'clock. 
Captain Maury was in the first boat with the pilot and 



four oars. Each of the others manned by an officer and 
four men carried a magazine with thirty fathoms of rope 
attached. These magazines were oak casks of powder 
with a fuse in each. Two joined by the rope were 
stretching across the ebb-tide and when directly ahead 
of the ships were let go, and floating down the rope 
caught across the cable, the torpedo would drift and the 
ship strain the trigger, ignite the fuse and explode. "The 
night was still, calm, clear, lovely." Thatcher's comet 
was flaming in the sky. We steered by it, pulling in 
the plane of its splendid train. All the noise and turmoil 
of the enemy's camp and fleet was hushed. They had 
no guard boats of any kind, and as with muffled oars we 
neared them we heard seven bells strike. After putting 
the torpedoes under one ship the boats that carried them 
went back, and Captain Maury with the other two, 
planted the other torpedoes. They then rowed away and 
waited, but the explosion did not come and the enemy 
never knew of the attempt. Lieut. R. D. Minor, one o{ 
his skilful and daring assistants, commanded the second 
expedition which he thus describes : 



C. S. S. Patrick Henry, 

Mulberry Point, October nth, 1861. 

Sir, — Owing to an unexpected delay in the comple- 
tion of the magazine I was unable to leave Richmond 
before the morning of the 9th, and did not reach this ship 
until yesterday about 8 A. M. When I laid your plan 
of the intended attack on the United States ships at 
anchor off Newport News, before Commander Tucker, 
who with Lieutenant Powell, the executive officer, placed 
every facility at my disposal for carrying it into execution. 



Acting Master Thomas L. Dornin and Midshipman 
Alexander M. Mason, having volunteered to accompany 
me, the evening was passed in preparing the magazine 
and in explaining in detail to the officers the manner of 
handling and working them. In filling the tanks I found 
that I would have 392 pounds to operate with, instead of 
400, which I had calculated upon; and to insure them 
from sinking I had some cork attached to the buoys, 
which subsequently proved of great advantage. The day 
was a stormy one, with a fresh breeze from the northward 
with rain and mist well suited for our operations against 
the enemy. About sunset Commander Tucker got under- 
way from his anchorage off this place, and with lights 
shaded steamed slowly down the river on a strong ebb- 
tide till the ships were seen ahead of us, when we came 
to within a mile and a half of the point, dropping the 
anchor with a hawser bent on to it to prevent noise from 
the rattling of the chains. The boats were then lowered, 
the magazines carefully slung, buoys bent on at intervals 
of seven feet, and when all was ready the crews armed 
with cutlasses took their places, and were cautioned in 
a few words by me to keep silent and obey implicitly the 
officers. Acting Master Dornin with Midshipman Mason 
took the left side of the channel, while I took the right 
with Mr. Edward Moore as boatswain of the ship to 
pilot me. Pulling down the river some 600 or 700 yards 
the boats were then allowed to drift with the rapid ebb- 
tide, while the end of the cork line was passed over to 
Mr. Dornin, and the line tightened by the boats pulling 
in opposite directions. The buoys were then thrown 
overboard, the guard lines on the triggers cut, the levers 
fitted and pinned, the trip line made fast to the bight at 
the end of the lever, the safety screws removed, the maga- 
zine carefully lowered in the water, where they were 



10 



well supported by the buoys, the slack line (three 
fathoms of which was kept in hand for safety) thrown 
overboard, and all set adrift within 800 yards of the ship, 
and 400 yards of the battery on the bluff above the point. 
So near were we that voices were heard on the shore 
and Mr. Moore reported a boat about 100 yards off, 
which, however, I did not see, being too much engaged in 
preparing the magazine for its service. Pulling back a 
short distance and hearing no explosion we returned to 
the ship which we found cleared for action and ready to 
cover us in event of being attacked, and the boats had 
just been hoisted up when signal lights were observed 
flashing in the vicinity of the point with considerable 
rapidity, indicating a suspicion on the part of the enemy 
that an attacked of some kind was intended. Leaving 
our anchorage, we steamed rapidly up the river and took 
up our former position off this place about 12 :30 at night. 
On going to the crosstrees this morning two ships were 
seen at anchor off the point, and later in the day when 
seen from Warwick River, where Commander Tucker 
and I went to get a better view of them, they were ap- 
parently unharmed, and I concluded that the magazine 
could not have fouled them, though planted fairly and in 
good drifting distances and with an interval between of 
some 200 feet, perhaps somewhat less as the line be- 
came entangled slightly while playing out. 

I have thus minutely described to you, sir, the whole 
operation, believing, as its originator, it would be inter- 
esting to you, and, perhaps, serve as a guide in the fur- 
ther prosecution of this mode of warfare. 

I beg leave to return my sincere thanks to Com- 
mander Tucker, Lieutenant Powell and other officers and 
men of the "Patrick Henry," for their hearty co-opera- 
tion, and I particularly desire to call your attention to the 



II 



coolness and bravery of acting Master Dornin and Mid- 
shipman Mason, and the boat crews associated on duty 
with me. 

I am, sir respectfully your obedient servant, 

R. D. MINOR, 
Lieutenant C. S. Navy. 

Commander M. F. Maury, C. S. Navy, 
Fredericksburg, Va. 

The torpedoes used by Captain Maury in his attack 
upon the "Minnesota," at Fortress Monroe, and by Lieu- 
tenant Minor upon the "Congress," off Newport News, 
were as follows : They were in pairs connected by a span 
500 feet long. The span was floated on the surface by 
corks, and the torpedo, containing 200 pounds of powder, 
also floated at a depth of twenty feet. Empty barregas, 
painted lead color, so as not readily to be seen, serving 
for the purpose. 

The span was connected with a trigger in the head of 
each barrel, so set and arranged that when the torpedo 
being let go in a tideway under the bows and athwart 
the hawser had fouled, they would be drifted alongside, 
and so drifted would tauten the span and set off the 
fuse, which was driven precisely as a ten second shot 
fuse, only it was calculated to burn fifty-four seconds, 
because it could not be known exactly in which part of 
the sweep alongside the strain would be sufficient to 
set off the trigger. That they did not explode was attri- 
buted to the fact that the fuse would not burn under a 
pressure of twenty feet of water, which conjecture was 
confirmed by after experiments, when it was found that 
the fuse would very surely at a depth of fifteen feet but 
never at twenty. Sometime after these torpedoes were 



12 



found down the bay by the enemy. Spans, barrels, 
barregas and carried to Washington — thus the enemy 
forewarned, forestalled further attempts of this char- 
acter by dropping the end of his lower studding sail 
boom in the water every night, and anchoring boats, or 
beams ahead. 

To obtain insulated wire, of which the South had 
none, an agent was sent secretly to New York, but with- 
out success, and as there was neither factory nor material 
for its manufacture in the Confederacy, the difficulties of 
preparing electrical torpedoes, to which Captain Maury 
attached the most importance and greatly preferred, 
seemed insuperable, until by a remarkable piece of good 
fortune, in the following spring, it happened that the 
enemy, attempting to lay across Chesapeake Bay were 
forced to abandon the attempt and left their wire to 
the mercy of the waves, which cast it upon the beach 
near Norfolk, where, by the kindness of a friend, it was 
secured for Captain Maury's use. With part of this he 
connected his mines in James River, below the obstruc- 
tions, with the shore stations, which afterward destroyed 
the "Commodore Barney," and later the "Commodore 
Jones," and with part enabled other Southern ports to 
be similarly protected. 

Of his James River torpedoes. Captain Maury thus 
reported to the Secretary of the Navy : 

Richmond, June 19th, 1862. 

Sir, — The James River is mined with fifteen tanks 
below the Iron Battery at Chaffin's Bluff. They are to 
be exploded by means of Electricity. Four of the tanks 
contain 160 pounds of powder, the eleven other hold 70 
pounds. All are made of boiler plate. 



13 



They are arranged in rows, as per diagram, those of 
each row being thirty feet apart. Each tank is con- 
tained in a water-tight wooden cask, capable of floating 
it, but anchored, and held below the surface from three 
to eight feet, according to the state of the tide. The 
anchor to each is an eighteen inch shell and a piece of 
kentledge so placed as to prevent the barrels from foul- 
ing the buoy ropes at the change of the tide. Each shell 
of a row is connected with the next one to it by a stout 
rope thirty feet long, and capable of lifting it in case the 
cask be carried away. The casks are water-tight, as are 
also the tanks, the electric cord entering and returning 
through the same head. The wire for the return current 
from the battery is passed from shell to shell and along 
the connecting rope, which lies at the bottom. 

The wire that passes from cask to cask is stopped 
aslack to the buoy rope from the shell up to the cask to 
which it is securely seized, to prevent any strain upon 
that part which enters the cask. The retvirn wire is 
stopped in like manner down the buoy ropes to the shell, 
and then along the span to the next shell. At 4 the two 
cords are rapped together, loaded with trace chains a 
fathom apart and carried ashore to the galvanic battery. 
For batteries Vv'e have 21 Wollastons, each trough con- 
taining 18 pairs of plates, zinc and wire, 10 x 12 inches. 
The first range is called i : the second 2: the third 3, and 
the wires are so labelled. Thus all of each range are ex- 
ploded at once. 

Besides these there are two ranges of two tanks each, 
planted opposite the battery at Chaffins Bluff. When 
they were planted it was not known that a battery was 
to be erected below. These four tanks contain about 
6,000 pounds of powder. The great freshets of last 
month carried away the wires that w^ere to operate the 



14 



first pair. Lieut. Davidson, who ,with the "Teaser" and 
her crew, has assisted me with the most hearty good 
will, has drag-ged for the tanks, but without success, they 
rest on the bottom. Could they be found it was my 
intention to raise the four, examine them and if in good 
condition, place them lower down. 

Lieut. Wm. L. Maury, assisted by Acting Master 
W. F. Carter, and R. Rollins, was charged with the duty 
of proving the tanks and packing them in casks. There 
are eleven others, each containing 70 pounds of powder. 
When tested in the barrels and found ready for use, they 
will be held in reserve in case of accident to those al- 
ready down. A larger number was not prepared for 
want of powder. There are a quantity of admirably 
insulated wire, a number of shells for anchor or tor- 
pedoes and a sufftcient quantity of chains for the wires 
remaining. They will be put in the navy store for safe 
keeping. 

The galvanic batteries, viz.: 21 Wollaston and one 
Cruickshank (the latter loaned by Dr. Maupin of the 
University of Virginia), with spare acids are at Chaffins 
Bluff in charge of Acting Master Cheeney. He has also 
in pigs a sufficient quantity mixed to work the batteries, 
and ready to be poured in for use. 

It is proper that I should mention to the department, 
in terms of commendation the ready and valuable assist- 
ance afforded by Dr. Morris, president of the Telegraph 
Company, and his assistance, especially Mr. Goldwell. 

My duties in connection with those batteries being 

thus closed, I have the honor to await your further 

orders. Respectfully, etc., 

M. F. MAURY, 

TT o T^ Tv/r 11 Commander C. S. Navy. 

Hon. S. R. Mallory, •' 

Secretary of the Navy, Present. 
15 



Shortly after, Captain Maury was ordered to London 
on secret service for the Navy Department, and that he 
might avail himself of laboratories and w^orkshops for 
experiment and improvement of his new science, in which 
he was now regarded as supreme authority. He was 
to report progress and improvement in this new means 
of making successful war from time to time to the Navy 
Department, which was constantly done during the next 
two years, and thus the result of his labours and inven- 
tions communicated to the officers in charge of the tor- 
pedo stations now established along our Atlantic Coast. 
His devices and inventions, which have not since been 
surpassed and some of which are still in use, had refer- 
ence chiefly to exploding the torpedo ; to determining 
with certainty from a distance the moment when a ship 
should enter within explosive range, and at all times 
to test its condition and to verify its location. 

Lieut. Hunter Davidson, his valued assistant, suc- 
ceeded him in charge of the James River batteries, 
and in time extended the mines some distance be- 
low. During the two years when he was in charge he 
planted many electrical torpedoes in the channel of the 
river, to be fired from concealed stations on shore. 
Some of these contained i,8oo pounds of powder. 

In August, 1862, the Federal steamer "Commodore 
Barney" was badly disabled by one of these, and in 
1864 the "Comm. Jones" was totally destroyed, with 
nearly all on board, the first fruits of Maury's electrical 
torpedo defense. The first vessel destroyed by a sub- 
marine torpedo was the gunboat — ironclad — "Cairo," in 
the Yazoo River. The torpedo was a demijohn of pow- 
der enclosed in a box sunk in the river and fired by a 
string from the shore. Lieut. Beverley Kennon claimed 
the credit for this but Masters McDaniel and Ewing did 
the actual work. 

16 



Early in 1864 Davidson, in a steam launch, specially 
constructed for him, called "The Torpedo," having made 
120 mile run down James River, all within the enemies' 
lines, exploded a torpedo against the flagship "Minne- 
sota," at anchor ofi^ Newport News. The river swarmed 
with the enemy's vessels, and the guard boat was lying 
by the "Minnesota," but her captain had allowed his 
steam to go down. Davidson hit the great ship full and 
fair, causing great consternation on board, but the tor- 
pedo charge was only fifty-three pounds of powder and 
it failed to break in her sides, although considerable 
damage was done. Davidson suffered no injury and re- 
turned to Richmond without incident. 

On August 9, 1864, there was a great explosion in 
Grant's lines at City Point, on the James, caused by a 
torpedo with a clock attached which caused it to explode 
at a given hour. With daring unexcelled John Maxwell 
and R. K. Dillard, of the torpedo corps, made their way 
into the lines, carrying the machine neatly boxed with 
them, which Maxwell handed aboard one of the boats 
lying at the wharf, saying that the captain had directed 
him to do so. In half an hour there was a terrible explo- 
sion, killing and wounding fifty men and destroying 
much property and many stores besides, injuring many 
nearby vessels, which brave John Maxwell quietly wit- 
nessed seated upon a log upon a hillside close by. 

Lieut. Beverly Kennon was also most active in this 
system of defense and personally planted many tor- 
pedoes in the Potomac, Rappahannock and the James. 
He and Lieut. J. Pembroke Jones succeeded Lieutenant 
Davidson in charge of the torpedo defense of the James. 
A defense in itself equivalent to a well appointed fleet 



17 



or army, since, as is well known, it served to keep the 
enemy out of Richmond till the close of the war, and 
converted them into earnest advocates of its use. 

General Raines, chief of the Army Torpedo Bureau, 
had early adopted as the best form of torpedo, the beer 
barrel filled with powder and fitted with a percussion 
primer at each end. They were set adrift in pairs down 
the river by the hundred to be carried by current and 
tide against the enemy's ships below. Though many 
necessarily failed and drifted out to sea, if but a single 
one in a great number succeeded the Confederacy was 
well repaid. At times as many as a hundred a day were 
caught by the enemy's netting set out for that purpose 
in the James River alone. 

Captain Francis D. Lee, of General Beauregard's 
staff, recommended the spar torpedo, which was very 
successfully used, especially in the waters around Char- 
leston. It was a case to contain seventy pounds of pow- 
der set on the end of a twenty foot spar and rigged on 
the bow of a boat. It was exploded by contact on the 
side of the vessel attacked. 

In 1862 Dr. St. Julien Ravenal, Mr. Theodore Stoney 
and other gentlemen of Charleston, after consultation 
with Captain Maury, designed and had constructed a 
semi-submarine torpedo boat the first of its type. It 
was called the "David," for it was intended to attack 
the Goliah of the federal blockading fleet. After its 
remarkable experience and success, its name was used 
as the name for its type and the Confederacy had many 
"Davids" on the stock when the war ended. It was 
cigar shaped, twenty feet long, five in diameter at the 
center. The boiler was forward, the miniature engine 
aft, and between them a cuddy hole for captain and 
crew. The torpedo was carried on a spar protruding 

18 



fifteen feet from the bow, and could be raised or lowered 
by a line passing back into the cuddy hole. It was of 
copper containing lOO pounds of rifle powder and pro- 
vided with four sensitive tubes of lead, containing ex- 
plosive mixture. A two bladed propellor drove the craft 
at a six or seven knot rate. When ready for action the 
boat was so well submerged that nothing was visible 
save the stunt smokestack, the hatch combings and the 
stanchion, upon which the torpedo line was brought aft. 
The torpedo was submerged about six feet. Lieutenant 
VV. T. Glassel, of the Confederate Navy of Virginia, one 
of the bravest of the brave, volunteered to take charge 
of her. He says Assistant Engineer J. H. Toombs vol- 
unteered his services, Major Frank Lee gave me his 
zealous service in fitting a torpedo. James Stuart, or 
Sullivan, volunteered to go as fireman, and the services 
of J. W. Cannon as pilot were secured. I had an arma- 
ment on deck of four double-barrel shotguns, and as 
many navy revolvers ; also four cork life preservers had 
been thrown on board to make us feel safe. On the fifth 
of October, 1863, they left Charleston a little after dark, 
bound for the federal fleet outside, and especially for 
the "New Ironsides," the most powerful ship afloat. He 
thus graphically describes what occurred: "We passed 
Fort Sumter and beyond the line of picket boats without 
being discovered. Silently steaming along just inside 
the bar, I had a good opportunity to reconnoiter the 
whole fleet at anchor between me and the camp fires on 
Morris Island. 

"The admiral's ship, 'New Ironsides,' lay in the midst 
of the fleet, her starboard side presented to my view, I 
determined to pay her the highest compliment. I had 
been informed through prisoners lately captured from 
the fleet, that they were expecting an attack from tor- 



19 



pedo boats and were prepared for it. 1 could hardly, 
therefore, expect to accomplish my object without en- 
countering some danger from riflemen, and, perhaps, a 
discharge of grape or canister from the howitzers. My 
guns were loaded with buckshots. I knew that if the 
officer of the deck could be disabled to begin with, it 
would cause them some confusion, and increase our 
chance of escape, so I determined that if the occasion 
offered 1 would commence by firing the first shot. Ac- 
cordingly, having on a full head of steam, I took charge 
of the helm, it being so arranged that I could sit on the 
deck, and work the wheel with my feet. Then directing 
the engineer and fireman to keep below, and give me all 
the speed possible, I gave a double-barrel gun to the 
pilot, with instructions not to fire until I should do so, 
and steered directly for the monitor. I intended to strike 
her just under the gangway, but the tide still running 
out carried us to a point nearer the quarter. Thus we 
rapidly approached the enemy. When within 300 yards 
of her a sentinel hailed us. Boat ahoy! repeating the 
hail several times very rapidly. We were coming toward 
them with all speed and I made no answer but cocked 
both barrels of my gun. The officer of the deck next 
made his appearance and loudly demanded, 'What boat is 
that.' Being now within forty yards of the ship and with 
plenty of head way to carry me on, I thought it about 
time the fight should commence and fired my gun. The 
officer of the deck fell back mortally wounded (poor 
fellow), and I ordered the engine stopped. The next 
moment the torpedo struck the vessel and exploded. 
What amount of direct damage the enemy received I 
will not attempt to say. My little boat plunged violently 
and a large body of water, which had been thrown up, 
descended upon her deck, and down the smoke-stack and 
hatchway. 

20 



"I immediately gave orders to reverse the engine and 
back off. Mr. Toombs informed me then that the fires 
were put out, and something had been jammed in the 
machinery, so that it w^ould not move. What could be 
done in this situation? In the meantime the enemy, re- 
covery from the shock, beat to quarters and general 
alarm spread through the fleet. I told my men I thought 
our only chance of escape was by swimming and I think 
I told Mr. Toombs to cut the water pipes and let the 
boat sink. Then taking one of the cork floats I got into 
the water and swam off as fast as I could. 

"The enemy in no amiable mood poured down upon 
the the bubbling water a hailstorm of rifle and pistol 
shots from the deck of the 'Ironsides,' and from the near- 
est monitor. Sometimes they struck very close to my 
head, but swimming for life I soon disappeared from 
sight and found myself alone in the water. I hoped that 
with the assistance of the flood tide I might be able to 
reach Fort Sumter, but a north wind was against me, and 
after I had been in the water more than an hour I be- 
came numb with cold and was nearly exhausted. Just 
then the boat of a transport schooner picked me up and 
found to their surprise that they had captured a 'rebel.' 
I v/as handed over next morning to the mercy of Ad- 
miral Dahlgren, who ordered me to be put in irons, and 
if obstreperous, in double irons. When on the flagship 
[ learned that my fireman had clung to her rudder chains 
and been taken on board. 

"Engineer Toombs started to swim towards the 
'Monitor,' with the intention of catching her chains, but 
changed his mind when he saw that the 'David' was 
afloat, and had drifted away from the frigate. Swim- 
ming to her he found Pilot Cannon, who not being able 
to swim, when the fires were extinguished jumped over- 



21 



board and clung to the unexposed side of the 'David.' 
After drifting about a quarter of a mile he got back on 
board and seeing something in the water he hailed and 
heard, to his surprise, a reply from Toombs, who soon got 
on board. Finding the boat uninjured, though a bull's 
eye canteen afforded a mark to the Federal cannoneer, 
they fixed the engine, started up the fires, got up steam 
and started back to Charleston, reaching the Atlantic 
dock about midnight." 

As the result of this most daring feat it was found 
that the torpedo had exploded under three feet of water 
and against four and one-half inches of armour, and 
twenty-seven inches of wood backing. The ponderous 
ship was shaken from stem to stern, and was docked for 
repairs until the attack on P'ort Fisher, while the 
"David" and her crew were uninjured. Captain Rowan 
reported that the ship was very seriously injured and 
ought to be sent home for repairs, and Admiral Dahlgren 
informed the Secretary of the Navy that, "Among the 
many inventions with which I have been familiar, I 
have seen none that acted so perfectly at first trial. The 
secrecy, rapidity of movement, control of direction and 
precise explosion, indicate, I think, the introduction of 
the torpedo element as a means of certian warfare. It 
can be ignored no longer. If sixty pounds of powder 
why not 6oo," and the Secretary of the Confederate Navy 
reported : "On the evening of the 5th of October Lieu- 
tenant W. T. Glassell, in charge of the torpedo boat, 
"David," with Assistant Engineer Tomb, Pilot Walker 
Cannon, and Seaman James Sullivan, left Charleston to 
attempt the destruction of the enemy's ship, 'New Iron- 
sides.' Passing undiscovered through the enemy's fleet, 
he was hailed by the watch as he approached the ship 
and answering the hail with a shot, he dashed his boat 



22 



against her and exploded the torpedo under her bilge. 
The fires were extinguished, and the boat was nearly 
swamped by the concussion and the descending water, 
and Lieutenant Glassell and Sullivan, supposing her to 
be lost swam off and were picked up by the enemy. En- 
gineer Tomb and Pilot Cannon succeeded in reaching 
Charleston with the boat. 

"Although Lieutenant Glassell failed to accomplish 
his chief object, it is believed that he inflicted serious 
injury upon the 'Ironsides,' while his unsurpassed daring 
must be productive of an important moral influence, as 
well upon the enemy as upon our own naval force." 

The annals of naval warfare record few enterprises 
which exhibit more strikingly than this of Lieutenant 
Glassell the highest qualities of a sea officer. 

At this time there were sixty officers and men on tor- 
pedo duty at Charleston alone. 

The most remarkable career in all torpedo history 
was that of a little boat built in Mobile Bay, and operated 
upon the fleet off Charleston. She was the poineer of 
all submarine torpedo boats, as she was the first to 
achieve success. 

She was built in 1863-4 at Mobile by Mr. Horace L. 
Hundley, at his own expense. She was made of boiler 
plate, was shaped like a fish twenty-four feet long, five 
feet deep, three feet wide ; she had fins on each side, 
raised or depressed from the interior; her motive power 
was a small propeller worked by manual power of her 
crew seated on each side of the shaft ; she was provided 
with tanks which could be filled or empitied of water 
to increase or dimish her displacement ; but had no pro- 
vision for air storage. The captain stood in a circular 
hatchway well forward and steered the boat, and regu- 
lated the depth at which she should proceed. When she 



23 



dived all was made tight until she rose again. She had 
no ventilation. She was designed to tow a torpedo 
astern, dive under the vessel attacked, dragging the tor- 
pedo after; she would then rise to the surface on the 
other side, when the torpedo would explode by contact 
with the bottom of the vessel, and the torpedo boat 
make ofif in the darkness and confusion. General Maury 
states that on her trial trip, which he saw, she towed a 
floating torpedo, dived under a ship, dragging the tor- 
pedo, which fairly exploded under the ship's bottom, 
and blew the fragments one hundred feet into the air; and 
that not being able to use her in Mobile, he sent her, and 
her crew to Charleston. It is said that during another 
trial in Mobile she sank and all on board perished before 
she was raised. 

Lieutenant Payne, of the Navy, volunteers to take her 
out, and secured a volunteer crew of sailors. She was 
named the "H. L. Hundley." While tied to the wharf 
at Fort Johnston, whence it was to start at night to 
make the attack, a steamer passing close by, filled and 
sank it, drowning all hands save Payne, who was at the 
time standing in one of the manholes. She was promptly 
raised, but was again sunk, this time at Fort Sumter 
wharf, v/hen six men were drowned, Payne and two 
others escaping. When she was brought to the surface 
again. McKinley and a trained crew came from Mobile, 
bringing with him Lieutenant Dixon, of the Twenty-first 
Alabama Infantry, to fight the boat. He made repeated 
descents in the harbour, diving under the receiving ship 
again and gain successfully. But one day, when Dixon 
was absent from the city, Mr. Hundley, wishing to 
handle the boat himself, unfortunately made the at- 
tempt ; it was readily submerged but did not rise again 
and all on board perished, from asphyxation. When the 



24 



boat was discovered, raised and opened the spectacle was 
indescribably ghastly, the unfortunate men were con- 
torted into all kinds of attitudes horrible to see; some 
clutching candles, evidently endeavouring to force open 
the manholes; others lying on the bottom tightly grap- 
pled together; and the blackened faces of all presented 
the expression of their agony and despair. 

The "Hundley" had thus cost the lives of thirty-three 
brave men, but nevertheless, there were still found vol- 
unteers to risk theirs for their country — and Lieutenant 
Dixon found no difficulty in enlisting eight more heroes 
to attack the Federal steam sloop of war, "Housatonic," 
a powerful new vessel of eleven guns, lying on the north 
channel, opposite Beach Inlet, off Charleston. General 
Beauregard had refused to let it be used again, but 
Lieutenant Dixon, having undertaken to use the boat 
with a spar torpedo in the same manner as the "David," 
consent was given and preparations for the attack were 
again made. 

Dixon was a Kentuckian and was moved by the high- 
est principle and patriotism in making this venture. He 
had taken an active part in the construction of the vessel, 
and had caused other men to perish in her by dangers 
he had not shared, now bravely demanded this oppor- 
tunity. His crew were Arnold Becker, C. Simpkins, 

James A. Wick, T. Collins and Ridgeway, of the 

Navy, and Corporal J. F. Carlson, of the artillery. All 
knew the fearful risk they ran — and all were willing to 
sacrifice their lives for their country, counting the cost 
as nothing if thereby they could procure the destruction 
of the "Housatonic." 

Everything being ready at twilight on the 17th of 
February, 1864, these devoted heroes took their places 
in the boat at Sullivan's Island, and set off upon their 



25 



perilous adventure. This time she got away successfully, 
but that is the last that v/e hear of her save the official 
report from the enemy, that about 9 o'clock an object 
like a plank was seen approaching, which in a moment 
more struck the ship with a great explosion, blowing up 
the after part of the ship, causing her to sink immedi- 
ately to the bottom, drowning five men and injuring 
many more. 

The "Hundley" was never heard of again till several 
years after the war, divers sent down to wreck the 
"Housatonic," found her little antagonist lying on the 
bottom near by. 

Admiral Dahlgren reported to the Secretary of the 
U. S. Navy, as follows : 

Sir, I much regret to inform the Department that 
the U. S. S. "Housatonic," on the blockade off Charles- 
ton, S. C, was torpedoed by a rebel "David" and sunk 
on the night of February i/th, about 9 o'clock. 

From the time the "David" was seen until the vessel 
was on the bottom, a very brief period must have elapsed, 
as far as the executive officer can judge, it did not exceed 
five or seven minutes. 

The officer of the deck perceived a moving object on 
the v/ater quite near and ordered the chain to be slipped : 
the captain and the executive office went on deck, saw 
the object, and each fired at it with a small arm. In an 
instant the ship was struck on the starboard side between 
the main and mizzen masts. Those on deck near were 
stunned, the vessel began to sink, and went down al- 
most immediately. 

The Department will readily perceive the conse- 
quences likely to result from this event : the whole line 
of blockade will be infested with these cheap, conven- 
ient and formidable defenses, and we must guard every 

26 



point. The measures of prevention are not so obvious. 
I am inclined to the belief that in addition the various 
devices for keeping the torpedoes from the vessels, an 
effectual prevention may be found in the use of similar 
contrivances. * * * 

I have attached more importance to the use of tor- 
pedoes than others have done, and believe them to con- 
stitute the most formidable of the difficulties in the way 
to Charleston. Their effect on the "Ironsides" in Octo- 
ber, and nov;^ on the "Housatonic," sustains me in the 
idea. And thereupon he makes application to be fur- 
nished a number of torpedo boats made upon the model 
of the "David," a sketch of which is submitted, and 
also a quantity of floating torpedoes, and suggests that 
as he has information that the Confederates have a num- 
ber of "Davids" completed and in an advanced state of 
construction, the Department would do well to offer a 
large reward of prize money for the capture or destruc- 
tion of any of them, say $20,000 or $30,000 for each, add- 
ing, "they are worth more than that to us." 

About the same time Admiral Farragut, who had 
little faith in torpedoes at first, and who like other naval 
officers had denounced their use by the Confederates, 
and ordered that no quarter should be shown those cap- 
tured operating them, also applied to be furnished them, 
saying, "Torpedoes are not so very agreeable when used 
on both sides, therefore, I have reluctantly brought 
myself to it. I have always deemed it unworthy 
of a chivalrous nation, but it does not do to give 
your enemy such a decided superiority over." And the 
Government of the United States, who had savagely 
denounced the Confederates for using them, now invited 
plans from inventors and mechanics for their construc- 
tion, and operation, and soon supplied them abundantly 



27 



to Army and Navy — adopting generally the Confederates 
as the best. 

In August, 1864, the Federal fleet advanced upon 
Fort Morgan at the entrance of Mobile Bay, the line 
being led by "Tecumseh," the newest and most powerful 
of the enemy's ironclads, which was completely destroyed 
by a torpedo planted under the direction of General 
Raines, Chief of the Confederate Army Torpedo Bureau. 
She sunk in a moment, carrying down with her her en- 
tire crew of one hundred and forty souls, save about 
fifteen or twenty who escaped by swimming to Fort 
Morgan. 

This was the greatest achievement of a single torpedo 
during our war and served to stimulate the Confederate 
authorities to renewed vigour. Thenceforward, the Bay 
of Mobile and adjacent waters became the chief scenes 
of torpedo operation. Genl. Maury stated that he had 
caused to be placed 180 in her channel and waterways, 
that they held the powerful fleet of Admiral Farragut for 
ten months at bay, and destroyed fully a dozen United 
States vessels, of which six were gunboats and four were 
monitors. Regular torpedo stations were established 
in Richmond, Wilmington, Charleston, Savannah and 
Mobile, at which sixty naval officers and men were on 
duty, preparing these new engines of war. The channel- 
ways, rivers and harbours were protected by them from 
Virginia to Texas. Sometimes a hundred were taken out 
of James River in a single day, and when the Southern 
seaports fell hundreds of torpedoes were found floating 
in th^eir waters ready to explode upon the first contact. 
At first the older Confederate officers who regarded thein 
with disfavour, as Captain Wm. H. Parker says he did, 
were now "torpedo mad." "Commodore Tucker and I," 
he said, "had torpedo on the brain," and the destruction 

28 



of the enemy's vessels increased so rapidly that in the 
last ten months of the war forty or fifty were blown up, 
and in the last three weeks ten or more were destroyed. 
Its possibilities became better and better appreciated 
every day. Think of the destruction this machine af- 
fected, and bear in mind its use came to be fairly under- 
stood only during the last part of the war. During that 
period, when but few Federal vessels were lost and 
fewer still severely damaged by the most powerful guns 
in use, we find this long line of disasters from the Con- 
federate use of this new and in the beginning despised 
comer into the arena of naval warfare. Our successes 
have made the torpedo a name spoken of with loathing 
and contempt by the self-sufficient Yankee, a recognized 
factor in modern naval warfare, and now we see on all 
sides the greatest activity and genius in improving it. 

The wonderful inventive genius and energetic action 
of the Confederate officers, and engineers astounded the 
world by their achievements in the unknown and untried 
science in naval warfare. They not only made it most 
effective for sea coast and harbour defence, but terrible 
as an agency of attack on hostile ships of war. Not only 
that, but they brought the system to such a high state of 
perfection that little or no advance or improvement has 
since been made in it, and wnthin a short period of the 
inception of the design a system was formed so perfect 
and complete as that the advance upon the water by the 
enemy was materially checked. They startled naval con- 
structors and officers in the civilized world by the 
rapidity, audacity and novelty of their original methods, 
and will be known through all ages for their wonderful 
achievements. Maury, Buchanan, Brook, Jones and their 
assistants are the central figures around which revolve to 
the present day the changes from the old to the new in 
naval warfare. 

29 



Meantime Captain Maury was most diligently em- 
ployed in London, under the order of the Navy Depart- 
ment in developing and imporving his system, afforded 
by the w^orkshops and laboratories there for experiment 
and construction. Here he continued during 1863 and 
1864, pursuing these researches, perfecting many valua- 
ble inventions, and instruments with signal success. He 
reported to the Secretary of the Navy at home, so far as 
it was safe to do so, by whom results were passed on to 
ofificers in charge for their instruction and guidance and 
shipping continuously to the department supplies of in- 
sulated wire-, exploders, and other inventions and devices 
whose object was to increase the destructiveness of the 
torpedo and to test it continually without removing it. 
In the spring of 1865, he sailed for Galveston with the 
most powerful and perfect equipment of electric torpedo 
material ever assembled. Great results were confidently 
expected from this armament, but before he reached 
Havana news arrived of General Lee's surrender. 

But his experience and study and his scientific renown 
had now made him the leading authority in this new 
weapon of war mainly perfected by him. He was also 
now relieved from the seal of secrecy hitherto imposed 
upon him, so that when a year afterwards he returned to 
Europe he felt himself at liberty to impart to the 
sovereign there the secret of his discoveries concerning 
his new made science. Most of the European powers 
sent representatives to his school of instruction — and all 
of them have built upon his beginnings, the most power- 
ful branch of their naval armaments. 

To France he first imparted his secret and the Em- 
peror witnessed the experiment and himself closed the 
circuit and exploded a torpedo placed in the Seine, near 
St. Cloud, to the perfect satisfaction of all. Russia, 



30 



Sweden, Holland, England and others soon also received 
his instructions and they, too, have since built up a new 
method of defence second to none. 

My own experiments. Captain Maury says, show 
that the electrical torpedo, or mine has not hitherto been 
properly appreciated as a means of defence in war. 
It is as efTective for the defence as ironclads and 
rifled guns are for the attack. Indeed, such is the 
progress made in what may be called this new Depart- 
ment of Military Engineering that I feel justified in the 
opinion that hereafter in all plans for coast, harbour and 
river defences and in all works for the protection of 
cities and places whether against attacks by armies on 
land or ships afloat, the electrical torpedo is to play an 
important part. It will not only modify and strengthen 
existing plans, but greatly reduce the expense of future 
systems. 

These experiments have resulted in some important 
improvements and contrivances, not to say inventions 
and discoveries which as yet have been made known only 
to the Confederate Government. They are chiefly as 
follows : 

First. A plan for determining by cross bearing 
when the enemy is in the field of destruction, and for 
"making connections" among the torpedo wires in a cer- 
tain way and by which (the concurrence of two opera- 
tors) becomes necessary for the explosion of any one or 
more torpedoes. This plan requires each operator to be 
so placed, or stationed that a line drawn straight from 
them to the place of the torpedoes may intersect as nearly 
as practicable at right angles, and it requires the con- 
nections to be such that each operator may put his sta- 
tion in or out of circuit at will. When the torpedoes are 
laid, a range from each station is established for every 



31 



torpedo or group of torpedoes. When either operator 
observes an enemy in range with any torpedo he closes 
his circuit for that torpedo. If the enemy before getting 
out of this range should enter the range for any torpedo 
from the other station the operator then closes his cir- 
cuit, and discharges the igniting spark. 

Consequently if the range belongs to the same tor- 
pedo its explosion takes place. But if not there will be 
no explosion; hence, here is an artifice by which explo- 
sion becomes impossible when the enemy is not within 
the field of destruction, and sure when she is. 

Second. The "Electrical Guage," a contrivance of my 
own, by means of which one of the test which the igniting 
fuse has to undergo before it is accepted, is applied. By 
means of it the operators can telegraph through the fuse 
to each other without risk to the torpedoes, and by which 
the torpedoes, may without detriment to their explosi- 
bility be tested daily, or as often as required. And thus 
the operator can at all times make sure that all is right. 

Third. A plan for planting torpedoes where the 
water is too deep for them to lie on the bottom and ex- 
plode with effect, by which they will not interfere with 
the navigation of the channel, and by which when the 
enemy makes his appearance they may, by the touch of 
a key be brought instantly into the required position and 
at the proper depth. 

These contrivances are all very simply ; they are 
readily understood from verbal instruction, they require 
neither models or drawings, and enable the operator 
chiefly to use the self same wire for testing his torpedoes 
daily after they are planted, and then to explode them 
at will. 

Though these torpedoes, owing to the lack in the 
Confederacy of the proper materials and appliances for 



32 



their construction and use, were make-shifts, yet so effec- 
tive had their use become, especially during the last year 
of the war, that the Secretary of the American Navy, in 
his annual report of December, 1865, to the President 
of the United States, thus testifies to their efficiency: 
"Torpedoes always formidable in harbours and internal 
waters, have been more destructive to our naval vessels 
than all other means combined." 

Since 1862, finding myself in reach of the facilities 
afforded in England, I have made the study of Electrical 
torpedoes a specialty, and the results are such, to say 
the least, as to show that it is capable of doing quite as 
much for the defence as ironclads and rifled guns are 
likely to do for the attack. 

These results consist in improvements and discoveries 
which enable the adept in that new department of mili- 
tary engineering to explode his torpedoes whether buried 
on land or submerged in the water, singly or in groups, 
instanteously and at any distance to transmit through 
them without the risk of explosion, orders and commands, 
and as readily as through the ordinary line of telegraph. 
To determine with unerring certainty when the enemy is 
in the field of destruction of this or that torpedo. To 
render its explosion impossible, unless he be in such field, 
even though the igniting spark should be discharged ; 
and so to set an electrical current to watch it, as to make 
the injuring of it without his knowledge impossible, and 
the removal of it by an enemy, if not impossible, ex- 
tremely difficult and dangerous. 

Electrical torpedoes are also available for the defense 
of mountain passes, roadways and fortified positions on 
land. 

I am not aware that electricity was used at all in the 
Confederate war for springing mines on land. Shell cast 



33 



for this purpose should be used but in an emrgency, tin 
canisters, or other perfectly water-tight cases, will an- 
swer. These shells should be one-fourth of an inch thick 
to one inch, according to size and probable handling in 
transportation. They should be spherical only instead of 
a hole for the fuse as in a hollow shot they should have 
a neck like a bottle, with a cap to screw over, not in the 
neck. The case should be charged through the neck, and 
the wires let in through two holes counter sunk diame- 
trically opposite, the counter sinking being for the pur- 
pose of receiving pitch or other rosinous matter, to keep 
the water out. The fuse being adjusted to the wires 
should be held in place by a string through the neck while 
the wires drawn out taut and sealed within and without. 
Having proved the fuse first fill and then drive in the 
peg. Then fill the space between it and the screw-cap 
with red lead and screw down so as to make water-tight. 
Now secure the tails of the wires so that they will not 
be chafed or bruised, and the mine is ready for trans- 
portation. 

They are general to be used in stone fugassias, the 
wire being buried at convenient depths and all marks of 
fugassias and trenches removed as completely as pos- 
sible. Any number not exceeding twenty-five or thirty 
may be arranged in a single circuit for the Ebonite ; but 
if the magnetic exploder of Wheatstone be preferred, and 
the ground be perfectly dry, hundreds may be planted in 
a latter circuit. 

The operator may be at any distance from these 
primas when he explodes them, provided only he has 
established some mark or point which on being seen 
by the enemy should serve as a signal. The area of de- 
struction of fuggassee properly constructed with a charge 
of twenty or thirty pounds of powder may be assumed to 



34 



be that of a circle seventy-five or eighty yards m diam- 
eter. Twenty mines would therefore serve for a mile. 
Several miles may be planted in a night and the assail- 
ants may be enticed, or invited out in the morning. 
Passes before an invading army may be mined in advance 
and thus if he cannot be destroyed, his progress may be 
so retarded by dress mines or sham mines as almost 
literally to dig his way. 

The power to telegraph through these torpedoes is 
of little consequence, in as much as there need be but 
one station and one operator. Using the testing fuse 
manufactured by Abel and a weak vollaic current, the 
operator can at any time satisfy himself as to continuity. 
Thus "bridge" and "gulfs" or "breaks" are not required 
for the land as they are in sea-mining. Ebonite has the 
further advantage on land that it takes but a single wire. 

Forts may be protected against assault and your own 
rifle pits from occupation by an enemy simply by a proper 
distribution of these new engines of war. They may be 
planted line within line and one row above another, and 
so arranged that volcanoes can be sprung at will under 
the feet of assaulting columns. And these improvements 
and discoveries enable the engineer at small cost, and 
short notice effectually to defend any roadstad, or block 
any river, harbour or pass against the land and naval 
forces of an enemy without in the least interfering with 
the free use of the same by friendly powers. 

To this admirable state of efficiency was new and 
terrible science of war perfected, chiefly by the Con- 
federate Navy, and mainly through the instrumentality of 
its faithful, and devoted officer Captain Matthew F. 
Maury, and his brave and daring young assistants. Minor, 
Davidson, Kennon, Dixon, Glassel, and many others, and 
those crews of the "Hundley," who moved by the lofty 



35 



faith that with them died, volunteered for enterprise of 
extremest peril in the defense of Charleston Harbour, in 
which they all perished, in this desperate service, of whom 
the names of but the following are known : Horace L. 
Hundley, George E. Dixon, Robert Brookland, Jos. Pat- 
terson, Thomas W. Park, Chas. McHugh, Henry Beard, 
John Marshall, C. L. Sprague, C. F. Carlson, Arnold 
Beeker, Jos. A. Wicks, C. Simpkins, F. Collins, Ridgway, 
Miller, whose monument erected by the ladies of Char- 
leston, stands upon the battery there in perpetual memory 
and honour. 

RICHARD L. MAURY, 

Army Northern Virginia. 



36 



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